Dreams Reborn
by Fujimaru-kun
Summary: Takes place after Naruto fails to bring back Sasuke. Naruto becomes depressed and it takes a special girl to get him back on his feet. Chapter 4 is up. NaruHina! Please read and review.
1. Depression

Takes place after Naruto fails to get Sasuke back. Naruto becomes depressed about his failure and it takes a special girl to get him back out of his depression. Eventual NaruSaku or NaruHina. My first fanfic. Ever. Please read and review!

_Blah_ Thoughts of anyone (if a person thinks while with others, quotations and the thinker will be specified)

Part 1: Regrets - Determination  
Naruto lay in his hospital bed. His eyes narrowed in sadness. He stared at his hands still beaten from the fight with Sasuke. _Why couldn't I bring him back_? He had let down everyone. He had failed the mission. But most importantly, to him, was that he broke his promise to Sakura. Naruto's cerulean eyes moved from his hands to the window. He stared blankly into the dark gray clouds as rain poured against the window. His gaze was disrupted by a knock on the door.

"I don't want to talk right now..." Naruto claimed. He knew he was only lying to himself. He needed someone to comfort him, but he couldn't bear to face anyone. Naruto turned laid back down on the bed and turned on his side with his back towards the door. He heard the door open and closed his eyes wishing whomever it was to go away. The door went clack as it closed and the stool next to the bed became occupied. "Naruto...you can't always have successful missions," said a female voice.

"Tsunade-obachan...I failed...I let Sakura-chan down...I wasn't able to keep my way of the ninja. I'm a failure..." Naruto protested. "I don't want to face my friends...or Sakura-chan." Silence ensued afterwards. Tsunade's hands were clenched in fists, shaking. "Have you forgotten your dreams!? You goals!? Who's going to become Hokage!?" Tsunade shouted. "Where's the man I saw who protected me against Kabuto?! Where's the man who mastered the Rasengan in a week?!" Naruto remained silent, not wanting to face Tsunade. "I'm sorry I yelled at you Naruto. Just think about what you're doing right now." With that, Tsunade got up and left the room.

Outside Kakashi leaned against the wall reading his book. "How was he?" inquired Kakashi without looking up from his book. Tsunade sighed, "He has an extreme case of depression. His spirit is completely gone. It's like an empty shell that's lying in that bed right now."

"I see..." Kakashi said almost like he was not even interested. "So...how are the teams going to be now?"

"I don't know yet. I'd like to rearrange them as soon as possible but most of the genin still need to recover from the mission." Kakashi closed his book and put it in his bag. He started to walk away, but stopped. Without turning around he said, "Just call me when they're ready." With that, Kakashi left.

Naruto went back to looking at the window. _Why did Sasuke betray Konoha? He said I was his best friend. Then why? Why did he try to kill me? Was he that hungry for power? Damn Orochimaru! Damn that bastard._ The rhythmic clacks of the rain against the walls of the hospital soon soothed Naruto's mind and he slowly fell into a deep sleep.

On the other side of Konoha, at the Hyuuga mansion, Hyuuga Hinata was sitting in her room. _Maybe I should go see Naruto-kun. Neji-ni-san is there too. I'll go see him and then go see Naruto-kun. Maybe I should tell him how I feel about him. But...what if he rejects me? He still likes Sakura...I'll never be as pretty as her..._Hinata kept turning the idea over in her mind. But she always came to some conclusion that put herself down. She suddenly stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. Her white eyes stared sadly at her reflection. She made up her mind, she left her room and the Hyuuga mansion and headed towards the hospital. I will tell Naruto-kun how I feel. I will do it.

And that's it for now. Sorry about it being so short. I'm very afraid of presenting my work to the public, because I think I suck. So I had to spit something out to force myself to show it to others. Read and review please! Constructive criticism is wanted! (and praise of course). I promise to make the next chapter longer. Sakura will appear in the next chapter for you Sakura fans.


	2. Forgiveness : Confession

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto (of course).

Byuu128 – Thanks for the kind review, for now, I haven't decided the pairing, and I will take a reviewer's vote into consideration.

chaos( ) – Thanks for the review! Pairing is still undecided, but your vote counts!

Rasenth – Bwahahahaha, yes I am evil! For soppy stuff...maybe. Itachi definite yes, but won't be here for a long time.

TimeShifter – As I said for the others, pairing will remain undecided for a few chapters now.

Updates will irregular. Usually I like reading a new chapter everyday if I'm reading someone else's fic and I'd like to do the same with mine, but I can't write 1000 word (that's what I consider longer than short . ) chapters everyday as I'm busy doing school and other things all week. I'll try to get a chapter out every two days or so.

Dreams Reborn

Chapter 2: Forgiveness – Confession?

Somewhere else in Konoha, a certain pink-haired girl sat sadly on a bench in the park. Her face wet from the rain and her tears. There she sat for hours ever since she heard that Naruto failed to bring her Sasuke-kun back. Finally, she got up from the bench, the rain still coming down hard. She shivered in the cold. She stopped thinking about Sasuke for a few minutes and her thoughts drifted to Naruto. _Maybe I should go see him. I'm sure he tried his best...for me. _Sakura then headed for the hospital with her feet splashing through the puddles.

Back at the hospital, Naruto stirred in his sleep. Slowly he opened his deep blue eyes and sat up in his bed, letting the sheets fall to his waist. Immediately he started to think about his battle with Sasuke. No matter what, Naruto couldn't escape from his thoughts about the battle. Even sleep didn't rescue him from his tortured mind. Naruto heard talking outside his door and then a knock. Still not feeling like talking to anyone, he ignored it. Again, the door opened without his permission and the nurse came in. "Good morning Naruto-kun!" exclaimed the female nurse.

"..." Naruto pretended as if she wasn't there. The nurse didn't seem to notice that though.

"I have great news Naruto-kun!"

_She doesn't quit does she?_ Naruto thought to himself. Again he replied with silence.

"You'll be released from the hospital tomorrow! Isn't that wonderful?" said the cheerful nurse.

Naruto finally spoke a word to someone other than Tsunade, "Yeah..." The nurse left the room a few minutes later to attend to her other duties. Naruto was glad that she left.

The rain had cleared up during his sleep. The sky was now a beautiful array of orange and yellow in the sunset. Hinata slowly made her way to the hospital, now second-guessing herself once more. _I want to tell him...but what if...no! Naruto-kun wouldn't hurt my feelings. I have to believe in him...and myself..._Hinata stopped walking and looked at the sky. _How beautiful..._She started on her way again towards the hospital at a slightly heightened pace.

Sakura started running to the hospital as soon as the rain stopped. She had to apologize to Naruto for being so selfish. She couldn't stop him herself...she always had to get Naruto to protect her. She always asked Naruto for things, yet would shoot him down whenever he would ask her out. Soon enough, Sakura found herself in front of the hospital, panting. She walked through the doors and went up to the receptionist. "I'm here to see Uzumaki Naruto," she told the lady at the desk. The woman told her what room Naruto was in and Sakura hurried to his room. Sakura stopped in front of his room. _I have to tell him how sorry I am._ She knocked on the door. No answer. She knocked again, again no answer. _What is he doing!?_ Finally Sakura decided to let herself in. Inside, Naruto assumed his position in the bed with his back towards the door again. Sakura walked in and sat down on the same stool as Tsunade did earlier that day. "Naruto..." started Sakura. Naruto cringed at the voice. The worst person, the person he couldn't bare to confront, had come to confront him. He knew he was going to get it. She would yell at him for being weak and not bringing her Sasuke-kun back. He closed his eyes wishing she wasn't there. "Naruto..." Sakura continued, "I'm sorry!" Sakura broke out in tears as she spoke those words. Naruto's eyes shot open. _She's sorry?! I'm the one who should be sorry. I failed. Not her..._ "I'm so selfish Naruto! I keep asking you things and I never do anything myself! And you nearly gotten killed because of me!"

Naruto turned to look at Sakura. What he saw devastated him. Sakura's deep green eyes were red and puffy from crying. "No Sakura, I promised you. I'm the one who should be sorry."

"But..."

"No buts Sakura. I failed." Neither of them spoke after that. Finally, Sakura started to speak, "Naruto, I'm going to go home to think this over. Thank you for trying." Naruto sat shocked at what happened after that. Sakura had kissed him on the cheek. Still unable to move, Naruto sat there even after Sakura had left.

Out in the hall Sakura was walking out into the sun-filled lobby. She saw Hinata walk in through the front doors. "Hi Hinata," Sakura said while waving hello. "H-Hi S-Sakura-san." Hinata hurried past Sakura and asked the same receptionist Sakura asked for Naruto's room.

Hinata soon found herself in front of Naruto's room. Hesitantly she knocked. And for the first time, Naruto gave permission to let someone in the room. Hinata walked in slowly. "H-Hi Naruto-kun," Hinata greeted nervously.

"Hi Hinata. What're you doing here? Did you visit Neji yet?"

"N-No, not yet. I-I just wanted t-to say s-something to y-you Naruto-kun." Naruto looked at Hinata, wondering what she would wanted to say. "I-It's just that I w-wanted something for y-you to know."

"What is it Hinata?"

"I-It's umm...w-well...I-I...think that you did your best to get Sasuke back." Hinata wanted to hit herself for not telling him.

Naruto sighed, "No, Hinata. I didn't do my best. I didn't bring him back...I broke my promise to Sakura-chan." Hinata's white eyes grew into big O's. She was surprised at this radical change of Naruto's personality. His face dark with gloom and the happy radiant aura of his usual fox-grin had disappeared. "Naruto...what's wrong?"

"I can't do anything right. I've tried my hardest all my life and when it matters most, I failed." He looked away from Hinata.

"Naruto...you never failed in my eyes. You've always tried so hard, and I looked up to you. You became strong, and never quit. You had the greatest perseverance. And you always had a smile on your face even when you were hurting inside. That's why...I..."

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Hahaha, I'm evil! Yesh I am. I decided this would be a good place to stop so I can get some motivation going on chapter 3. Review please! Those who have reviewed already...REVIEW AGAIN!!!! Tell me what you liked...and disliked! One thing I didn't like, the way I wrote Sakura. Soooo...if you didn't like that, tell me! Also...would you rather read the chapter in double spaced format? I find most stories easier to read that way and I wanna know if you think it would be easier to read mine that way!


	3. As the Sunshine Bursts Through

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Naruto.

Comments to readers

General Notes: Right now, according to votes and my personal opinion, I will most likely doing a NaruHina. Please don't kill me NaruSaku fans!!! ;;; Updates will vary from 1-2 days usually but schoolwork may interfere with that. Also, I have midterms coming up so updates won't be as frequent next week. Another thing, time will be displayed in military format. For example, 1 PM is 13:00 and 12 AM is 00:00.

Dragon Man 180 – I'll be working on the chapter length a lot soon enough. Read the general notes above for relationship status.

JoeKool – I will try to update every one or two days, but depending on homework load from school, I might not be able to get them out that quickly, especially when I'm aiming for longer chapters.

high voltage – Who's the fat girl? You don't have to answer that but read the general notes above to see the relationship status for now.

Durian – Thanks for the advice. I agree about the paragraphs being blobs and I have trouble remembering to make new paragraphs when they speak. But I'll try to make the revisions in future chapters.

ITAI! – I guess my little abrupt stop makes people wanna know what happened. ; My very evil plan is working!! insert evil laugh

Xoni Newcomer – I'll be trying to get longer chapters that are around 2000 words each. Read the general notes for information about the pairing. I'm not a big fan of LeeSaku myself so I think I wouldn't be able to write it very well if I don't like it. And I'll try to stick in whomever I chose not to be in the relationship to be in frequently.

AkiaBinZaid – Nooooo!!!! Keep reviewing! Thanks for the praise!

Warprince2000 – Thanks for the positive review. Read my response to JoeKool for update info.

Byuu128 – Development is a must! Since I categorized this as a romance fic, there's going to be plenty of relationship development, but I'm also going to throw in some action with Orochimaru and Itachi in chapters further down the line, but I can't say when as I have no clue myself.

TimeShifter – Just start reading to find out!

Nonengel – My thoughts exactly on the ideal relationship. That's what I was aiming for when I started this fic, but provided the option of voting in case the majority of the reviewers wanted to see the other.

Sorry if I forgot to include you in my responses!

**Dreams Reborn **

**Chapter 3: As the Sunshine Bursts Through**

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"Naruto...you never failed in my eyes. You've always tried so hard, and I looked up to you. You became strong, and never quit. You had the greatest perseverance. And you always had a smile on your face even when you were hurting inside. That's why...I..."

-----

"That's why...I...I-I...love you Naruto-kun!" Hinata finally manages to blurt out. For the second time that day, Naruto's eyes shot wide open.

"_Hinata...loves me?! How long has she felt this way?!" _thought Naruto, his eyes still wide with shock.

Hinata kept talking, tears rolling down her face, "I love you because you're strong in my eyes Naruto-kun. I acknowledge your strength, your courage, your determination. I acknowledge you for who you are!"

"Sh-she acknowledges me for who I am..." Naruto's deep blue eyes start to moisten with tears. And the next moment, he suddenly reaches over and hugs Hinata. Hinata's face turns a deep crimson after she realizes that she's hugging the boy she had watched from afar, and loved. 

"Thank you Hinata! Thank you for acknowledging me, for saying that I'm not a failure. I'll try harder from now on...thank you," Naruto manages to cry out.

Outside the door, Tsunade stands watches the two embrace, and smiles to herself. _Looks like Naruto found his motivation again. I think I'll let them have some privacy now._ Tsunade turned and walked away down the hall.

"So...Hinata...I'm getting out of the hospital tomorrow," mentions Naruto.

"That's great!"

Hinata's signature stutter had disappeared, which, Naruto noticed. "Hey Hinata! You stopped stuttering!"

Hinata blushed a light pink and said, "I guess I feel more confident when I'm around you Naruto-kun."

"Hehe," Naruto put on his foxy grin. "You look a lot cuter when you have confidence!" Again Hinata blushed, but a deeper red this time. "It's true! You smile more and you look really cute! So...umm...do you wanna go get some ramen tomorrow or something when I get out?"

Naruto's words kept ringing in Hinata's head. _Is this a date?!_ "S-Sure Naruto-kun."

"Great! Meet me here tomorrow around lunch time!"

The next day came quickly, and the nurse was surprised to see Naruto in a cheery mood. Soon it was around two and Hinata came, and Naruto left the hospital.

"Let's get some ramen Hinata!" exclaimed Naruto in his usual energetic way.

"O-okay." Hinata was a little nervous. She was finally out on a "date" with her love and didn't really know how to act. Naruto led Hinata through the crowded streets until they reached the Ichiraku ramen stand. They both sat down in two of the four vacant stools.

"Mmmm...what kind of ramen should I get?" Naruto asked himself aloud. "I know! Beef ramen! What're you going to have Hinata?"

"I-I'll have the same," Hinata quietly replied.

"Hey old man! Two beef ramen bowls!" shouted Naruto.

"Hoho, I see you managed to get someone besides Iruka-sensei to come with you this time," laughed the old man. This time both Naruto and Hinata blushed. When they finished their ramen, Naruto had consumed twelve large bowls while Hinata only had one. Naruto slapped the money down on the counter and hopped off his stool.

"Where to Hinata?" asked Naruto with his hands behind his head, elbows sticking in the air. Hinata didn't have a suggestion so Naruto decided they would go to the park. They found a bench and Naruto started to talk about his past missions. Hinata listened to every word he had to say. Naruto was surprised because no one else listened to his stories besides Konohamaru.

When Naruto finally ran out of stories to boast about Hinata finally got a turn to talk, "Wow Naruto-kun. You're so strong."

"Hehe, not really. I still gotta train lots." Naruto gave a thumbs up while flashing a grin. It was getting dark in Konoha now and Naruto insisted that he'd walk Hinata home. Hinata tried to refuse but Naruto never gave up asking. Hinata led him down many roads and finally ended up at the Hyuuga mansion.

"Wow! Your place is huge Hinata!" Naruto stared in amazement. Hinata and Naruto both said good night and Naruto turned and ran off for his apartment.

Hinata stood at the entrance, watching Naruto's distant shadow in the moonlight getting smaller and smaller. "Naruto-kun..."

Naruto unlocked the door to his apartment and walked into the kitchen. He immediately boiled some water and poured it into a cup of instant ramen. _"Mmm, I haven't eaten since I had lunch with Hinata"_

After Naruto finished his ramen, he went and lay down on his futon. _"Wow, I had such a great day today. Hinata a really nice girl...kinda cute too...Hmm I wonder what Sakura-chan did today. I bet if I asked her anything she would hit me again. And Hinata-chan is so much more quiet and less violent than Sakura-chan._ Naruto's thoughts drifted back to Hinata as his eyes became heavy and his breathing became more rhythmic and he soon fell asleep.

Naruto awoke to a loud banging on his door. "_Who the hell is knocking on my door this early._" Naruto walked over to the front door and saw a familiar face.

"Shikamaru!!!!" Naruto points at him while yelling. "What the hell are you doing knocking on my door this early?!"

"You idiot," Shikamaru says in his nonchalant voice. "_Why is this idiot always so loud?_" Shikamaru thinks to himself. "I'm here to tell you that you're to assemble at the Hokage's office at 11:00 with the other genins. Just be there." With that Shikamaru walks off and doesn't give Naruto a chance to ask any questions.

18:00 soon came rolling by and Naruto set out for the Hokage's office. Surprisingly, Naruto arrives on time with the others. Chouji after taking the last pill, is still recovering in the hospital. They all walk into the Tsunade's office together and were surprised with the presence of their senseis.

Tsunade stood up from behind her desk and addressed the genin, "I suppose you're wondering why I called for you all here. Due to the current situation...I'm going to have to rearrange the teams."

"WHAT!?" all the genin shout in unison (except for Hinata).

"QUIET! This is because Shikamaru was promoted to Chuunin as you know, and that Uchiha Sasuke betrayed Konoha. This makes the teams unbalanced and we have to rebalance the teams. And Team 7's teacher will now be Jiraiya, as Kakashi will be having to do more missions, and Naruto is already his pupil, I see no reason to switch. Now I have already selected the rearrangements, Naruto will obviously stay with Jiraiya, Neji and Hinata will join Team 7 as well."

"Woo!!! Hinata-chan's on my team! And so is Neji!" Naruto jumps around Tsunade's office, Hinata blushes, and the other genin stare at him until he gets punched into the wall by Tsunade.

"_Naruto-kun's happy about me being on his team. Does this mean he likes me the same way I like him?_" Hinata thinks to herself.

"IDIOT!" Tsunade shouts. "Shut-up until I say you can talk! Anyway, continuing...Gai will keep Lee and Tenten and will add Sakura."

This time, it was Lee's turn to shout out. "Yes! Sakura-chan is on my team! And I get to stay with Gai-sensei!" Lee runs up to Gai and the two hug and cry for joy making everyone stare at them with their mouths hanging open at the very disturbing scene.

Tsunade clears her throat with a loud "ahem" and continues, "Kurenai's team will keep Shino and Kiba, with the addition of Ino. And if you're wondering about Kakashi and Asuma, they have been sent out on missions. You are all dismissed."

As the genin walk out, Naruto runs up to Hinata and starts talking. Sakura, who's behind them observes this, "_Since when did Naruto get all close to Hinata? And he's not depressed anymore. And he calls Hinata 'chan.'" _

"Hey Hinata-chan! Let's go get some ramen!" Naruto loudly suggests (A/N He says it loudly because he's naturally loud, not to gain attention).

"Okay Naruto-kun." Hinata blushes again.

Naruto notices Sakura walking past and suddenly says, "Sakura-chan! Wanna come too?"

Hinata made a disappointed face because she wanted to be alone with Naruto, but of course he doesn't notice.

"Sure Naruto," says Sakura coolly. Naruto was a little surprised since this was the first time Sakura accepted an invitation for ramen. The three walked to the Ichiraku ramen stand (again) and sat down.

"Hoho Naruto, I see you brought another lovely lady this time." The old man gave Naruto a wink and a thumbs up. Naruto returned them with his signature foxy grin.

Naruto and Hinata ordered the same as yesterday, and Sakura got the same.

"Soo...Naruto..." Sakura started saying in a sly voice. "...How long have you and Hinata been together?" Again Hinata blushes another deep crimson, and Naruto chokes on his ramen from the sudden and direct statement.

"W-we're not r-really t-together S-Sakura-san," Hinata manages to get out nervously.

"Oh sure you are. I haven't seen Naruto this happy for awhile now." Sakura in a very nonchalant voice.

Naruto finally speaks up, "Umm...well...Sakura-chan...Hinata-chan came to see me at the hospital and finally made me realize some things. And she's really nice and cute too." This makes Hinata blush an even deeper crimson red than before.

"Well, it's getting late and I'll be off now." Sakura got up from her stool and paid for her meal and walked off, Naruto and Hinata staring at he dark silhouette disappear.

"We should be going too Hinata-chan," suggests Naruto. He too pays for his and Hinata's meals despite Hinata's protests that he shouldn't have to pay for her meal. And again, he insisted that he should walk her home.

By the time they reached the Hyuuga manor, it was very dark.

"Hinata-chan...I was thinking about what Sakura-chan said and I have something important I want to ask you." Naruto's voice turned serious and had a nervous hint to it.

Hinata noticed and became a little worried. "What is it Naruto-kun? You can ask me anything."

"Well...w-would y-you like t-to b-be m-my g-g-girlfriend?"

Hinata became overjoyed at his question. Her dreams finally came true. Her love was asking her to be his girlfriend, right here, right now.

Naruto starts speaking again, "B-Because I-I was thinking about the other day at the hospital, and even Sakura couldn't get me out of my depression but you did. And the way you've helped me out...before the Chuunin Exam and at the hospital...I just couldn't stop thinking about you...so would..."

Hinata cut him off and hugged him. "Of course Naruto-kun. Of course I'll be your girlfriend." Naruto wrapped his arms around Hinata and drew her closer bringing her warm body closer. And there they stood, hugging with the moonlight shining down upon them.

-----

Whew, that took a lot out of me, and it seems I turned it into NaruHina very quickly there. I personally like NaruHina more than NaruSaku but I like both, just NaruHina more. ;; I really attempted to make this one much longer than the first two chapters and I think I did alright. There's a reason Tsunade put Naruto and Hinata on the same team, and this will all be explained in the next chapter. Remember to REVIEW. Sorry to disappoint you NaruSaku hopefuls. Sakura will develop a very friendly relationship with Naruto in later chapters, and she will get more development. As for other character appearances, I still have to decide. And for other pairings...I don't know about that either. You can vote for them but I might not even include them. Remember to REVIEW. I'm afraid I moved things kinda fast, but oh well.


	4. Where Darkness Hides in the Shadows

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Naruto

Comments to reviewers

General Notes: One thing that I consider important from a couple of reviewers, is the part about the rushed relationship. Originally, I planned to make them get to know each other more over the span of a few chapters, but when I was writing this, it just came up. I respect your opinions and I know it was a little rushed but it just happened to come out this way. And as my friend who read this story commented, what's done is done. I can't change it now. I would like to but I don't feel like rewriting the chapter. Also, think about Naruto's past. He's asked Sakura numerous times to go out with him while he was just a little boy. But I am sorry that it seemed too fast for you, and I do agree that it was quick.

I need to rest for a bit and get focused back onto the story. Don't expect much from this chapter, I don't like it that much myself.

Mikoshi – Yeah I know the relationship was rushed, read the general notes for my thoughts on that.

Dragon Man 180 – Jiraiya won't do anything to Hinata, but he might say some things to piss off Naruto for some comedy relief. Sakura will develop a "best-friend" kind of relationship with Naruto. They'll be very good friends but Naruto will pretty much have lost all interest with a romantic relationship with her.

Durian – Thanks for pointing that out, I'll make sure to fix it when I get the time. I was planning to span out the relationship, but I just wanted to get to it. Read the general notes for more info on the subject.

Warprince2000 – Updates might appear more frequently than expected, since your reviews motivate me to get more writing in!

Keltosh – No problems with your review. I expected to get more disappointment reviews from previous chapters. And yes I do realize they're twelve but do you really think that Naruto and the others act like they're twelve or thirteen in the manga/anime? I'm fifteen myself and I think they act more mature than I do. O.o;; Other stories...well this is my first fic (as well as my first creative writing story!) so I'll remember your advice for future stories. Thanks for the input.

AkiaBinZaid – Thanks! I like NaruHina a lot too because I think it's so cute!

blazer-6 – Ugh I hate yaoi too. It amazes me to see so much Naruto yaoi it's disgusting.

S-Wanderer999 – Thanks a bunch for the long review. As mentioned above, I know I moved too quickly for the relationship. As for the age, I'm going to go with modern times because the lifespan of the characters is longer than that of the actual feudal age. But, as I see from the many reviews I have gotten, I realized that I shouldn't have rushed it, and I apologize. I will create more couples for the genin, but I'm not going to concentrate on them much. For now, I'm looking at NejiTen? It'd be nice to see Gaara with someone but I just can't see him with anyone at the moment.

**Dreams Reborn**

**Chapter 4: Where Darkness Hides in the Shadows**

Uzumaki Naruto stirred in his sleep, the morning light spilling onto his face through the window, the warmth of the light waking him. Naruto slowly opened his eyes and started to take in his surroundings.

Thoughts of the last night started to pour into his still groggy mind. _Oh yeah, I had dinner with Sakura-chan and Hinata-chan. Then I walked Hinata-chan home. And then...OH CRAP!!! DID I ACTUALLY ASK HER THAT?!?_ _What the hell came over me?! But she said she would like to be my girlfriend...Ahhh whatever._

Naruto hopped out of bed and walked into his kitchen. He grabbed a cup of instant ramen from one of the several crates he had stored in the kitchen. He started to fill the cup with boiling water and let it sit for three minutes.

_What should I do today? Oh yeah! Today's the first day of official training with Ero-Sennin!_

Naruto's ramen was done being saturated with the boiling water and he dove right in.

"Ahh...that was good!" Naruto said aloud while patting his stomach.

After going through his daily morning routine, Naruto grabbed his Konoha headband and the necklace Tsunade gave him and ran out the door.

It's a bright day in Konoha again. A few puffy clouds floated casually in the sky and a cool breeze blowing. Naruto arrived at the training grounds with the three logs. Here he had so many memories. The bell exercise, Hinata's encouragement before the Chuunin Exam. He was the first to arrive at the training grounds, so he decided to practice molding his chakra while he waited. A few minutes later, Neji and Hinata arrived together.

Naruto jumped up and greeted the two. "Hiiiii Hinata-chan! Hi Neji! What's up?"

" Hi Naruto-kun." Hinata waved shyly to her new boyfriend.

"We're wondering what Jiraiya-sensei is going to be like." Neji stated.

"Oh! He's nothing too special. He's a sannin and a big pervert but nothing too significant," Naruto said crossing his arms and thinking about how perverted Jiraiya is.

"NARUUUUTO!!!!" A fist came down over Naruto's head as he was bashed into the ground.

"AHH!!! ERO-SENNIN!!!! WHERE DID YOU COME FROM!?" Naruto pointed and shouted at Jiraiya.

"I came from the same place you did you idiot!" Jiraiya yelled back at Naruto. "Now! To get back on track, we're going to do introductions! I'll start first!" Jiraiya went into his whole introduction routine that left everyone slightly disturbed after seeing his display.

"Now for you three!" Jiraiya said pointing at the genin.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! My dreams are becoming the Hokage to make everyone acknowledge me! I love ramen, training, and my Hinata-chan! I don't like people who try to judge others before they know who they really are!"

"_Hmm...Naruto seems to have given up on that pink-haired girl and went with this cute girl! Nice going Naruto!"_ Jiraiya thought while making mental notes.

"I'm Hyuuga Neji. My dream is to choose my own destiny. I like being able to control my own life. I don't like those who leave their destiny in fate alone."

"I-I'm H-Hyuuga Hinata. My dreams are to prove myself to others and to never give up. I like those who never give up and are confident within themselves. I don't like those who look down on others."

"Alright guys, it's time to select some exercises. Hinata, have you mastered use of the jutsus from your clan?"

"No..." Hinata hung her head in shame, not wanting to admit that she still hasn't mastered them.

"Well that'll be solved in no time. Tsunade-sama has informed me that Neji has a nice grasp of the clan techniques and he'll be training you during our sessions. I will also teach you some other techniques. Naruto, I'll also have to teach you some more techniques. Kage Bunshin and the Rasengan only aren't going to cut it. And since your taijutsu isn't up to par, you'll be outclassed in no time against a real enemy. But right now, I want everyone to work on your taijutsu. It hardly requires chakra and it'll be invaluable for your reflexes."

So the team worked on their taijutsu by sparring with one another until the sun started to set. Naruto got creamed by Neji and Hinata. Although Hinata was rather reluctant to attack Naruto, she still beat him up pretty badly. The three genin went home. Neji took Hinata back to the Hyuuga mansion and Naruto didn't accompany them to Hinata's disappointment. Instead, Naruto went straight home to rest.

Jiraiya arrived at Tsunade's office. He knocked on the door. "Come in," Tsunade said.

Jiraiya walked in and said, "You wanted to see me again?"

"Yes...it concerns Naruto. I'm sure you're aware of the weakening of the seal. Once that seal breaks, we have no idea what might happen to Naruto. Another thing, Naruto's formed a...special relationship with Hyuuga Hinata. I'm sure you must have noticed by now."

"Heehee, she's a cute one alright!" Jiraiya laughs but is slammed into the wall near where Naruto's body imprint was left the day before. "What'd I do?!" Jiraiya yells at Tsunade as he pulls himself out of the wall.

"Stop oogling over Naruto's girlfriend and listen!" Tsunade threatened with a scroll ready to be tossed straight into Jiraiya's private region.

"Alright alright already!" Jiraiya rubbed his head where it hit the wall.

"As I was saying, if anything was to happen to her, I don't know how he would react. But his dependency will most likely leave him emotionally unstable, and probably result in the breaking of the seal. But I do not know the extent of their relationship; it's only been a few days but they're already always near each other. So whatever you do, don't let either of them get killed or severely wounded. I'm also assigning a few Anbu to watch them during the day so nothing will happen when you aren't training them."

"Bah! I already know all that garbage. And don't waste our Anbu with babysitting tasks. Don't worry, no one will even get close to hurting those two. I'll make sure they'll be safe!" Jiraiya gave Tsunade a thumbs up sign. Yet this didn't seem to comfort Tsunade's worries. Jiraiya turned and left her office leaving her to her paperwork.

"Please keep my little brother safe Jiraiya..."

--------

Okay, this chapter sucked. Neji was totally lifeless and Hinata didn't blush! gasp! Nothing important goes on until the foreshadow at the end and that doesn't even excite me that much. I dare say that you can even call this a filler. gasp!**** I had so much trouble working out how the teams were gonna work, I just made up some excuse to not describe what they did in detail. Also, I was wondering if you enjoy quick updates but shorter chapters (with more cliffhangers) or longer updates with much longer chapters. Now for more excuses, I solely blame the poor quality of the last two chapters on school. Review please! And sorry again for the rushing of the relationship! goes and cries about crappy writing Also, I want you to go read "All I want for Christmas" by chibified kitsunes if you like NaruHina. It's one of the sweetest and cutest things I have ever read in my life. It's one-shot and a songfic and it's a little early for Christmas, but you **MUST** read this story. But review first! I need to find my inspiration and motivation again.


	5. Skies of Love and Memories

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Naruto so I can change it how I like it! But I don't So now I'm going to go away and cry about it.

Comments to reviewers

chibified kitsunes – Wow! Thanks for the huge praise! There's going to be a lot of development for Neji in this and future chapters! I'd say your Coming Home fic is even better than mine! It's so beautiful and emotional! Add me to your MSN if you want! My account is in me profile!

joekool – Thanks for the encouragement!

Mori Kita – Hehe, I remember saying that in a review once. Just start writing and you'll come up with something!

To all others – Thanks for dropping a review!

Dreams Reborn 

**Chapter 5: Skies of Love and Memories**

It's another sunny afternoon in Konoha. And a certain pink-haired kunoichi (A/N I can't spell Japanese words worth a lick, is that how it is?) marched down the streets letting her Inner side get the best of her. "Why the Hell do I have to be stuck with those freaks!?" she shouted aloud while people were dodging out of her path. "One's bad enough yet there has to be another one juuuuust like him! Damn my luck!!! Dammit dammit dammit!!!" Sakura continued ranting as she walked her way to her new team's training grounds.

Meanwhile, Hinata and Neji walked together towards their training grounds. Hinata stared at the ground while she walked along the dirt path. _"Neji-niisan has changed a lot in the past few weeks," _Hinata thought to herself, thinking about the day before. _"His dislikes...he said he didn't like those who let fate control them." _

Hinata smiled to herself as she thought about how Naruto help changed Neji. Kiba had told her all about it after she woke up from fainting at the Chuunin Exam. "Thinking about Naruto?"

Hinata looked up in surprise as her cousin spoke. "Umm..." Hinata fumbled with her words, wondering if she should tell Neji about how he had changed so much.

"It's okay Hinata. Naruto is a good guy. And a good friend. He helped me realize that I am in control of my life. And for that, I am grateful that I am able to call him a friend." Hinata stopped walking, staring in awe at her changed cousin. Neji kept on walking for a few steps and stopped. He turned around and looked at Hinata in her pearl eyes. "And I am especially glad that he has found a place for you in his heart."

Hinata eyes started to tear from joy at Neji's words. "Arigato Neji-niisan." The two continued walking towards the training grounds. (A/N: I decided to start using a little Japanese. It just brings the story that much closer to the real thing!)

The two arrived at the training grounds a few minutes later. Naruto and Jiraiya weren't there yet. Jiraiya showed up with a bump on his head about five minutes later, obviously getting caught peeping at the women bathhouses. Naruto showed up about thirty minutes later, forgetting that he wasn't running on Kakashi time anymore.

Again the team worked on taijutsu. They worked rigorously until the sun started to set. Naruto again getting beat up pretty badly was learning slowly. Jiraiya ran off as soon as he announced that training was done for the day so he can go peep at the women again, which was obvious to Naruto who pointed out his motives to the Neji and Hinata. This earned Naruto another fist on the top of his head.

Neji helped Naruto up and started to speak, "Naruto, I never thanked you for our battle in the Chuunin Exam. Although I lost, you taught me a valuable lesson about fate and life. And for that, you have earned my friendship."

Naruto flashed his foxy grin once again, his face beaming with happiness at earning the trust and friendship of yet another in Konoha. The three walked back into town, Naruto hand-in-hand with Hinata.

Suddenly a loud voice came from nowhere, "Neji-kuuuuuun!!!!!" Neji looked up in surprise as Tenten came barreling out from the adjacent street. "Hi Neji! Let's get dinner together if you haven't eaten already!" said an excited Tenten.

Naruto tried to stifle his laughter as Neji was being tugged on by the girl. Tenten finally noticed the other two genin that were present. "Oh! Hi Hinata! Hi Naruto! What're you two doing here?"

"We just came from a hard day's work of training!" Naruto said.

"Saaay...why are you two holding hands? Are you two going out?" Tenten said giggling and pointing at Naruto and Hinata's hands.

"Nani!? How'd you know?" Naruto said taken aback by Tenten's guess. Hinata blushed still clinging to Naruto.

"It's kinda obvious you know...Now Neji-kun and I must leave because we have a date! Isn't that right Neji-kun?" Neji blushed a deep red that could rival Hinata's while Tenten tugged on his arm once again.

"Nani!? Neji, how come you didn't tell us!?" Naruto pointed at Neji demanding an explanation.

"I didn't think it was important." Neji stated in a semi-nervous voice.

Tenten whapped him across the back of his head. "What the hell do you mean you didn't think it was important!? Sometimes I don't even know why I bother!"

Tenten stomped off down the street with Neji chasing after her trying to apologize. "Hahaha, wow. Neji sure has changed a lot," Naruto said while laughing at the sight.

"That's because you helped him change Naruto-kun." Hinata looked into Naruto's cerulean eyes.

"Yeah..." _But I didn't help him change. _"I'll take you home Hinata-chan." Naruto walked Hinata home with her resting her head on his shoulder.

Naruto and Hinata arrived at the Hyuuga mansion once again. "I'll see you tomorrow Hinata-chan," Naruto said but there didn't seem to be any emotions behind the words.

"What's wrong Naruto-kun?" Hinata said looking into his eyes, searching for an answer.

"It's nothing." Naruto said, again without any emotion.

Hinata pleaded for an answer, "Naruto...you can tell me anything."

"Like I said it's nothing. Good night." Naruto turned and dashed off, not wanting Hinata to see him thinking about Sasuke and how he failed.

"Naruto-kun..."

The sun was setting on the horizon and the night was emerging. Naruto found himself next to a large lake, waters reflecting the colors of the sunset all around. Red and orange shone all around and reflected off his eyes. Naruto stared across the lake thinking back to the old times back when Team 7 still existed.

Soon the golden sky was conquered by a sky filled with blue, purple, and black with the moon looking down upon the lake surface; and a young blonde lying in the grass on the lakeside, sleeping peacefully, his mind away from the troubles of the world.

----

I thought I'd end the chapter with a beautiful setting. I had a lot of ideas for the ending, but I'll save those for another time. I'd also like a beta reader for my story. I think that having one will help the overall quality in my writing so YOU the reader, can get a better read out of it. If you'd like to help, just drop me an email . I also have MSN. Both my email and my MSN account are in my profile. And I have AIM, EatinRamenNaruto would be my screenname (mmm ramen). You would need to email me so I can add you to my list because I have buddies only privacy setting on. REVIEW! NOW!


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